Three new Asplenium L. taxa (Aspleniaceae, Pteridophyta) for the flora of North-Eastern Iberian Peninsula

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1 Orsis 26, Three new Asplenium L. taxa (Aspleniaceae, Pteridophyta) for the flora of North-Eastern Iberian Peninsula Rafel Curto Ferran Royo Grup de Recerca Científica Terres de l Ebre C/ Rosa Maria Molas, 25 A, 2n B Tortosa Javier López-Alvarado Università degli Studi di Sassari. Dipartimento di Botanica ed Ecologia Vegetale Via Piandanna, Sassari, Italy Institut Botànic de Barcelona (CSIC-ICUB). Passeig del Migdia s.n Barcelona Llorenç Sáez Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Unitat de Botànica gymnesicum@yahoo.es Manuscript received in September 2011 Abstract The presence of Asplenium majoricum Litard. is reported for the first time in Catalonia (North-eastern Iberian Peninsula). In addition, two wild hybrids: Asplenium orellii Lovis & Reichst. and A. reichsteinii Bennert, Rasbach & K. Rasbach are new records for the Iberian Peninsula and Catalonia, respectively. Keywords: Pteridophyta; Asplenium; hybrids; North-eastern Iberian Peninsula. Resum. Tres nous tàxons del gènere Asplenium L. (Aspleniaceae, Pteridophyta) per a la flora del nord-est de la península Ibèrica S indica per primera vegada la presència d Asplenium majoricum Litard. a Catalunya (Nord-est de la península Ibèrica). A més, els híbrids: Asplenium orellii Lovis & Reichst. i A. reichsteinii Bennert, Rasbach & K. Rasbach suposen novetats per a la península Ibèrica i Catalunya, respectivament. Paraules clau: Pteridophyta; Asplenium; híbrids; Nord-est de la península Ibèrica.

2 46 Orsis 26, 2012 R. Curto; F. Royo; J. López-Alvarado; L. Sáez Introduction Since the last general review of Pteridophyta in North-eastern Iberian Peninsula (Sáez, 1997; 1998), any new taxa have been added to this territory. However, some contributions have improved the knowledge of regional distribution of some taxa. The province of Tarragona (Southern Catalonia), has been among the floristically more intensively studied part of the territory during the last two decades. It is interesting to note, at regional level, the discovery of ferns of noticeably biogeographic interest, as Asplenium viride Huds. and Dryopteris affinis (Lowe) Fraser-Jenk. subsp. affinis at higher parts of El Port massif (Arrufat et al., 2008; Molero et al., 2006) and the new localities of extremely rare species, as Botrychium lunaria (L.) Swartz, Phyllitis sagittata (DC.) Guinea & Heywood and Dryopteris mindshelkensis N. Pavl. [= D. submontana (Fraser-Jenk. & Jermy) Fraser-Jenk.]. Asplenium L. is a cosmopolitan genus consisting of about 700 species (Kramer & Viane, 1990), showing considerable taxonomic complexity. In the last decades the genus Asplenium has been studied extensively, specially in Europe, where it comprises 50 taxa, half of which are diploid, while the other half are polyploids derived from the diploids (Vogel et al., 1999). This genus is well-known for its hybridization capacity especially in Central and Southern Europe. In North-eastern Iberian Peninsula, 28 taxa (hybrids included) have been previously recorded within this genus (Sáez, 1997: 51). During our recent fieldwork in Serra de Godall (Montsià, Southern Catalonia) aimed at increasing the pteridophytic knowledge of this area, we collected several specimens of ferns new to North-eastern Iberian Peninsula: Asplenium majoricum Litard., A. orellii Lovis & Reichst. [= A. majoricum A. trichomanes subsp. quadrivalens D. E. Meyer] and A. reichsteinii Bennert, Rasbach & K. Rasbach [= Asplenium fontanum (L.) Bernh. subsp. fontanum A. majoricum]. For Asplenium orelli, was previously only known from Mallorca (Lovis & Reichstein, 1970), this being the first report for the Iberian Peninsula. This paper reports the presence in Southern Catalonia of A. majoricum and two interspecific hybrids in the genus Asplenium (A. orellii and A. reichsteinii). Material and methods Morphological and anatomical observations were undertaken on living plants and herbarium specimens. The main diagnostic characters presented in the literature were studied. The spores were mounted directly from the sorus on glycerogelatin and were observed under a light microscope. The length and width of the spores were measured at 600x with a OLYMPUS CH-2 microscope. We have taken 30 measurements of spore length excluding the perispore. For scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies, samples of spores were glued to aluminium stubs, coated with 50 nm gold and examined in a HITACHI S-570 Scanning Electron Microscope at 15 kv. For every taxon we provide the locality and the 1x1 Km UTM square.

3 Three new Asplenium L. of North-Eastern Iberian Peninsula Orsis 26, Results and discussion Asplenium majoricum Litard. Tarragona province, Montsià: Serra de Godall, Freginals, 31TBF8805, 280 m, 11-I-2010, R. Curto (L. Sáez, herb. pers.-bcb); Serra de Godall, La Galera, 31TBF8705, 180 m, 30-I-2010, R. Curto (MMA 26454). Asplenium majoricum Litard., an allopolyploid species derived from Asplenium fontanum (L.) Bernh. subsp. fontanum and A. petrarchae (Guerin) DC. subsp. bivalens (D.E. Mey.) Lovis & Reichst., occurs in Eastern Iberian Peninsula [Alacant, Castelló and Valencia provinces (Aguilella et al., 2010)] and Northern Mallorca (Balearic Islands) where is restricted to Serra de Tramuntana range (Alomar et al., 1997). It colonizes calcareous rocky places, at altitudes ranging from m. The closest localities are Serra d Irta (Villaescusa, 2000) and Cabanes (Mateo & Rosselló, 2007). The new locality reported notably increases the distribution Figure 1. Drawings of middle pinnae of fronds. A: Asplenium majoricum, B: A. x orellii, C: A. x reichsteinii, D: A. trichomanes subsp. quadrivalens, E: A. fontanum subsp. fontanum. From specimens collected in Serra de Godall.

4 48 Orsis 26, 2012 R. Curto; F. Royo; J. López-Alvarado; L. Sáez area of the species. Moreover, attending to the existence of large regions in Southern Catalonia with similar habitats to those from Serra de Godall, the presence of new populations for the species is also possible. Regarding to macromorphological characters, fronds attributable to A. majoricum of Serra de Godall population present the typical intermediate morphology between A. fontanum and A. petrarchae (fig. 1), glabrescent or sparsely covered by glandular trichomes, arranged less densely than those of A. petrarchae and with brown raquis in a large portion of its longitude, contrary to A. fontanum, usually with a green raquis. The measurements of the spores resulted in a mean length value of 43.9 ± 2.56 micrometers, with minimum and maximum values of 40 and 48 micrometers respectively (Fig. 2). The habitat of A. majoricum in Serra de Godall corresponds to compact limestone rock fissures and spaces between terrace wall rocks, where some accumulated soil may be found. It is distributed in altitudes between 130 and 285 m. The vulnerability of A. majoricum population (which accounts for about 200 mature individuals) in Serra de Godall is noticeably high, since this area, at present lacking any type of legal protection, might be threatened by several anthropogenic Figure 2. Scanning electron micrographs of spores. A, B: Asplenium majoricum, C: A. orellii, D: A. reichstenii. From specimens collected in Serra de Godall. Bars = 0.75 mm (A); 50 µm (B, C, D).

5 Three new Asplenium L. of North-Eastern Iberian Peninsula Orsis 26, disturbances like roads maintenance, wind farms installation, etc. This population of A. majoricum has been recently included in the Vulnerable (VU) category (Sáez et al., 2010), according to IUCN (2001) criteria. Nevertheless, new censuses and detailed demographic studies should be conducted in order to confirm its extinction risk status. Asplenium orellii Lovis & Reichst. = A. majoricum A. trichomanes subsp. quadrivalens Tarragona province, Montsià: Serra de Godall, La Galera, 31TBF8705, 200 m, 11-I-2010, R. Curto (L. Sáez, herb. pers.-bcb). Hybrids from genus Asplenium are characterized by their intermediate morphology and aborted spores (Reichstein, 1981; Lovis & Reichstein, 1985; Wagner et al., 1986). The fronds gross morphology of the collected plants in Serra de Godall is clearly intermediate between those of the putative parents (A. majoricum and A. trichomanes subsp. quadrivalens), with lobulate lower pinnae (Fig. 1) and black rachis, except for the green top, suggesting a hybrid origin. In addition, spores, which greatly vary in size and shape, are strongly abortive (Fig. 2 C), supporting their hybrid nature. So far, all individuals studied of A. trichomanes from Serra de Godall belong to the subsp. quadrivalens (Curto & Sáez, unpubl. data). The wild hybrid between A. majoricum and A. trichomanes subsp. quadrivalens is known from the central sector of Serra de Tramuntana in Mallorca (Lovis & Reichstein, 1970; Alomar et al., 1995) and it does not appear in the review of Asplenium hybrids for the Iberian Peninsula (Pérez Carro & Fernández Areces, 1996). Since A. trichomanes subsp. quadrivalens is the most abundant taxon of the A. trichomanes group in Northeastern Iberian Peninsula (Sáez, 1997), it is highly likely that this subspecies has been hybridized with A. majoricum (assuming that Asplenium orellii has arisen independently in Serra de Godall). Asplenium orellii is extremely rare in Serra de Godall we have only observed one individual growing in shady rock crevices. Asplenium reichsteinii Bennert, Rasbach & K. Rasbach = A. fontanum subsp. fontanum A. majoricum Tarragona province, Montsià: Serra de Godall, La Galera, 31TBF8705, 180 m, 30-I-2010, R. Curto (L. Sáez, herb. pers-bcb). Based on fronds gross morphology, aborted spores (Fig. 2 D) and physical proximity of the hybrid plant to A. fontanum subsp. fontanum and A. majoricum, we assumed that these species are the presumably parents. We consider that individuals collected in Serra de Godall with intermediate fronds between those of A. majoricum and A. fontanum subsp. fontanum and with the content of the sporangia aborted, belong to A. reichsteinii. Nevertheless, we have observed several well-formed spores, which are probably viable. Although scarce, A. fontanum subsp. fontanum is present in Serra de Godall. Considering that A. fontanum subsp. fontanum, in Southern Catalonia, usually grows on middle mountain ranges (Sáez, 1997), it is interesting to find it in Godall at low altitudes.

6 50 Orsis 26, 2012 R. Curto; F. Royo; J. López-Alvarado; L. Sáez This is the first record for Asplenium reichsteinii for Catalonia and the second one for the Iberian Peninsula, where it was found in a locality close to Mogent (Valencia province) coexisting with A. majoricum (Pérez Carro & Fernández Areces, 1996). Acknwoledgements The authors thank to two anonymous referees which contributed to improving the manuscript. We are also indebted to Scanning Electron Microscope staff (Servei de Microscòpia, UAB). References Aguilella, A.; Fos, S.; Laguna, E Catálogo Valenciano de Especies de Flora Amenazadas. Colección Biodiversidad 18. Conselleria de Medi Ambient, Aigua, Urbanisme i Habitatge. Generalitat Valenciana. València. Alomar, G.; Mus, M.; Rosselló, J.A Flora endèmica de les Balears. Consell Insular de Mallorca. Palma de Mallorca. Alomar, G.; Sáez, L.; González, J.M., Font, J Notes florístiques de les Illes Balears (VI). Boll. Soc. Hist. Nat. Balears 38: Arrufat, M.; Beltran, J.; Cardero, S.; Curto, R.; Royo, F. de Torres, L Novetats per a la flora del massís del Port. Orsis 23: Kramer, K.U.; Viane, R Aspleniaceae. In: Kramer, K.U.; Green, P.S. (eds.). The families and genera of vascular plants. Vol. 1. Pteridophytes and Gymnosperms, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Germany, p IUCN IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria v IUCN Species Survival Comission, IUCN, Gland, Switzerland. Lovis, J.D.; Reichstein, T Der Farnbastard Asplenium orellii hybr. nov.= A. majoricum Litard. A. trichomanes L. subsp. quadrivalens D.E. Meyer und die Abstammung von A. majoricum. Ber. Schweiz. Bot. Ges. 79: Mateo, G.; Rosselló, J.A Novedades sobre el género Asplenium en el Sistema Ibérico, Fl. Montiberica 35: Molero, J.; Sáez, L.; Vallverdú, J.; Valle, L.G Noves aportacions a la flora de les comarques meridionals de Catalunya. Orsis 21: Pérez Carro, F.J.; Férnandez Areces, M.J Híbridos del gènero Asplenium L. (Aspleniaceae) en la península Ibérica. Anales Jard. Bot. Madrid 54: Sáez, L Atlas pteridològic de Catalunya i Andorra. Acta Bot. Barcinon. 44: Sáez, L La Pteridoflora de Catalunya i Andorra. Estudis taxonòmics i biogeogràfics. Tesi doctoral (inèdita). Universitat de Barcelona. Sáez, L.; Aymerich, P.; Blanché, C Llibre Vermell de les plantes vasculars endèmiques i amenaçades de Catalunya. Argania Editio. Barcelona. Villaescusa, C Flora vascular de la comarca del Baix Maestrat. Diputación de Castellón. Vogel, J.C.; Rumsey, F.J.; Schneller, J.J.; Barret, J.A.; Gibby, M Where are the glacial refugia in Europe? Evidence from pteridophytes. Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 66: Wagner, W.H.; Wagner, F.S.; Taylor, W.C Detecting abortive spores in herbarium specimens of sterile hybrids. Amer. Fern J. 76(3):